Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

THE NATIONAL Premier League (NPL), the island's top football competition, received a timely boost when Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia 'Babsy' Grange pledged $20 million to the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) on Wednesday night.

Grange was the keynote speaker at the PLCA, NPL and Coca-Cola National U-21 Awards Ceremony held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

She said the decision was taken to further assist with the development of football in Jamaica following consultation with Finance Minister Audley Shaw.

Nervous moments

"We all know that there were some very nervous moments close to the end of the season but, in the final analysis, football had to be the winner," Grange said, referring to the competition's loss of major sponsor, Cash Plus, during the season.

"Thankfully, the Under-21 teams were in a much safer position as they had the firm support of Coca-Cola and WISYNCO," she said.

Grange also said she was optimistic Jamaica, currently 105 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola world rankings, could regain the 27th-place ranking the team enjoyed in 1998.

"There is only one place for Jamaican football to go and that is up," she said.

"We have passed through dark times and low periods. We have turned the corner and have changed course and we are ready to move the programme forward."

Financial problems

The chairman of the PLCA, Edward Seaga, said every club last year had deep financial problems and that it would have been impossible to host the season unless serious sponsorship was found; thus the PLCA was formed.

Seaga stated that despite the setback with Cash Plus, the PLCA was back on track thanks to the WISYNCO Group ($13 million), Digicel ($1.8 million), the NCB Foundation ($8 million), Sports Development Foundation ($10.45 million) and Television Jamaica ($6 million).

"The clubs are strongly united and we are determined to move forward. There will be obstacles to overcome, but we intend to move positively and with optimism," Seaga said.

Captain Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), sought to dispel rumours regarding an alleged rift between the PLCA and the JFF.

Tremendous honour

"I consider it a tremendous honour to have someone as esteemed as Edward Seaga chairing a particular committee ... we will continue to work harmoniously with the grouping from the premiership clubs," Burrell said at the function.

"I represent a grouping and as such we will always have to show respect to those who have put us up there," he said.